2012 Open World Music Dance Party

As with last year, this year Open World Music is having a dance party in my newly renovated dance hall - "The Geyer Palladium" (aka my family room).  A new sound system is installed.  New lighting has been turned on.  All we need now is a playlist.

Well, here it is:

1)  Blumio (Germany): Intro
2)  Carly Rae Jespen vs. PSY (USA/South Korea):  Call Me Gangnam
3)  Fettes Brot (Germany):  Kontrolle
4)  Irie Révoltés (Germany):  Explosion
5)  Malik Adouane (Algeria):  Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine
6)  Boris Grebenschikov and Aquarium (Russia):  Shumelka
7)  Scandal (Japan):  Shojo S
8)  2NE1 (South Korea):  I Am the Best
9)  Marteria, Yasha, and Miss Platnum (Germany):  Feuer
10)  Dendemann (Germany):  Stumpf ist Tumpf 3.0
11)  Paula (Germany):  C'est comme ça
12)  Rachid Taha (Algeria):  Rock the Casbah
13)  Laing (Germany):  Neue Liebe
14)  Culcha Candela (Germany):  Schöne Neue Welt
15)  Nosliw (Germany):  Heiss und laut
16)  Mexican Institute of Sound (Mexico):  Yo Diga Baila
17)  Seeed (Germany):  Seeeds Haus
18)  Plastilina Mosh (Mexico):  Naranjada

This playlist has been test marketed by my 7 year old daughter, and she gives it two enthusiastic thumbs up.  I hope you enjoy it too!

Merry Christmas from Open World Music!!!!

Bundesvision 2012: Hesse

I don't know if anybody else has coined the term yet, but there is a very distinct sub-genre of Caribbean inspired music that I will call "Euro-ska".  More ska than polka, but with enough elements of both to have a distinctive flavor, Euro-ska is incessantly upbeat, is easy to dance to, and is easy to sing along with.  Even without a name specifically dedicated to it (although, there might very well be one that I'm not familiar with), Euro-ska is very popular at places like European weddings, beer festivals, and other events where young and old are co-mingling and looking for something mutually agreeable to dance to.

And into this scene walks Cris Cosmo with Herzschlag.  This is a fun, danceable song that makes you happy just listening to it.  I can already see the beer tents and summer music festivals bouncing up and down to it.  Herzschlag fits the Euro-ska genre like a pair of spandex bike shorts.  What it lacks is any shadow of originality.

Sigh.

My prediction:  Cris Cosmo's Herzschlag is a tough song to predict for.  It is extremely appealing to a broad audience.  At the same time, it could easily be replaced by any number of similar songs.  That means it could either do extremely well or it could fade without a trace.  I'll split the difference by putting it in the middle, and hoping for the best.

Bundesvision 2012: Brandenburg

Naming a singer appropriately doesn't happen as often as one would think.  The singer known as Madonna bears little resemblance to the mother of Jesus.  The singer known as Jello Biafra bears little resemblance to either a delicious squishy dessert or a secessionist region of Nigeria.  On the other hand, Mellow Mark (here featuring Nina Maleika) more than earns his name with Bleib bei mir.

Call it smooth jazz.  Call it soul.  Call it an acoustic duet.  Whatever you call it, Bleib bei mir is undeniably mellow.  There is obviously skill involved, but this song's Ambien-like effect on me makes it difficult to make any kind of coherent comment.  Suffice to say, Bleib bei mir rates right in the middle of "meh".

My prediction:  Like many other Bundesvision entries over the years, Bleib bei mir is neither good enough to win nor bad enough to make you want to cram knitting needles through your eardrums.  It just is.  As Bundesvision 2012 has a pretty strong crop of competitors this year, I think this lack of punch will put Bleib bei mir down in the bottom third of the pack.

Bundesvision 2012: Berlin

Sometimes it can be tough to maintain motivation to preview every entry for a contest like Bundesvision.  Once you get through the first half-dozen or so songs that you like, you're faced with at least ten more that are - to be honest - kind of dull.

That was the situation in which I found myself.  Even if I hadn't heard all of the songs yet, I had at least a passing familiarity with most of the bands in Bundesvision 2012.  While I naturally previewed the songs that were released early first, I also had a tendency to prioritize songs that I liked.  But now that we have only two weeks to Bundesvision 2012, all of the entries have finally been released.  And now that they have all finally been released, I am finding some very pleasant surprises buried in what is left.

Berlin's entry, B-Tight's Drinne, is just one of these songs that is like a breath of fresh air and a shot of adrenaline.  Combining the energy of thrash and metal with rap, B-Tight throttles you awake from your ballad induced coma.  What a relief!  To be honest, I'm not really a huge fan of B-Tight's other work.  But Drinne demands your attention, and I respect that.

My prediction:  Berlin has won more Bundesvision Song Contests than any other part of Germany.  I don't know if interstate politics will play any part in this year's contest, but if it doesn't, I think B-Tight's Drinne stands a pretty good chance of winning it all for Berlin again.  It might be a little too hard edged for some listeners, but it will come as a welcome relief for many others.

Bundesvision 2012: Baden-Württemberg

As I spent my summer vacation this year in Baden-Württemberg, and as I have always absolutely loved Xavier Naidoo's voice, I have been looking forward to hearing Baden-Württemberg's Bundesvision 2012 entry, Und ich schau nicht mehr zurück ever since I saw it announced.  Labeled as a release by Xavas - or a combination of Xavier Naidoo and rapper Kool Savas - this song promised a great deal. 

I will admit, up to now I have not really listened to any Kool Savas.  However, as mentioned above, I am a great admirer of Xavier Naidoo.  While he specializes in soulful life-affirming ballads, which typically don't hold much appeal for me, Naidoo's buttery smooth voice has a way of burrowing through my crusty exterior husk straight to my heart. 

Unfortunately, at least for me, Und ich schau nicht mehr zurück is one of those songs that just bounces off my crusty husk.  Naidoo's vocals are, as always, pleasant enough.  But the song - another soulful life-affirming ballad - just strikes me as bland.  The addition of Kool Savas doesn't add any kind of edge either.  His rap is fairly run-of-the-mill, and seems to have just been thrown in so that he could claim a place in the credits.

My prediction: While Und ich schau nicht mehr zurück is pleasant enough, I just can't imagine it turning that many heads at Bundesvision when competing against other, frankly more interesting, songs.  It's not the worst of the songs I've heard in Bundesvision 2012, I don't think it will rise any higher than the middle of the pack.

Bundesvision 2012: Saxony-Anhalt

What happens when an artist that you really like enters Bundesvision?  Well, if you're like me, you get all tingly and excited.  What happens when the song that this artist enters is really not one of her best?  You probably feel that this is a missed opportunity for some much deserved recognition.

Since I first heard Johanna Zeul, I have been in love with her music.  Some call her music "alternative folk".  I don't really get that.  Sure, she often plays an acoustic guitar, and her style is often stripped down to a very elemental form.  But that isn't necessarily folk in my book.  On her 2008 album, "Album Nr. 1", Zeul is definitely in the realm of alternative rock, with hints of Kristin Hersh and even Bjork.

Unfortunately, as I alluded to before, Zeul's entry for Bundesvision 2012, Sandmann, is nowhere near the best showcase of her songwriting or performing talent.  It is stripped down alternative rock like her other music, but Sandmann is stripped of the quirky hooks that make many of her other songs so appealing.  In short, this is a very interesting and exciting artist performing a fairly run of the mill song. 

My prediction:  I wish I had something better to say here, but I'll be shocked if Johanna Zeul's Sandmann does any better than the bottom third of the competition.  I just don't think there's enough depth or edge here to really excite the audience.

Bundesvision 2012: Saxony

Maybe I'm just getting soft in my old age, but some of you may have noticed that I have been liking a lot of the Bundesvision entries for 2012 so far.  That is true - at least so far - and Saxony's entry, Laing and Morgens immer müde is no exception.

Described on their Facebook page as "Electric Ladysound", Laing mixes a very funky electronic dance beat with some undeniably rich female vocals.  Put together, Laing produces a sound that is both internationally appealing and unmistakably German.  Having listened to Laing's only release up to this point, their EP "030 / 577 07 886", they carry this sound from good to even better.

Prediction:  While their sound is different in many respects, and while some readers may reject this comparison, I tend to think that Morgens immer müde will appeal to many of the same people who also enjoyed last year's entry from Frida Gold.  That would put Laing comfortably in the top half of the pack, but still far from the lead.

Bundesvision 2012: Rhineland-Palatinate

This is my third (well, second and a half) year reviewing the Bundesvision Song Contest entries, and I'm beginning to notice a pattern.  Every year there is one band that I have never heard of before that plays a song that I really like.  Last year's surprise band was Kraftklub.  The year before that it was Blockflöte des Todes.  This year, I have fallen for Pickers with their song 1000 Meilen.

Now don't expect me to tell you much about Pickers.  They don't have any albums out, although they do have an apparently all English language EP out that I can't seem to get my hands on.  Fortunately, they do have a bunch of different live songs on YouTube so I can get my Pickers fix before they come out with their inevitable pre/post Bundesvision debut album.

"But what about their Bundesvision entry?" I hear you asking.  Well, think of early Arctic Monkey (Pickers lead singer Lutz Rodenbüsch sounds exactly like Alex Turner), and you have a pretty good idea.  It is high energy indie rock and roll with a driving beat and jangly guitars; just the sort of thing I need to blast out of my car speakers on the long commute home.  I am already hooked!

Prediction:  Just as they came out of nowhere to surprise me, I think Pickers will surprise Bundesvision with 1000 Meilen.  They might not win, but I think they may very well come close.  Then again, what I like and what the Bundesvision audience likes are often very different.

Bundesvision 2012: North Rhine-Westphalia

Next, in no particular rational order, we bring you North Rhine-Westphalia's entry to the 2012 Bundesvision Song Contest:  Luxuslärm with Liebt sie Dich wie ich?

As I have said many times before, I often don't get why people like certain songs over others.  For example, as a general rule, I cannot stand power ballads.  They just strike me as being the ultimate in self-indulgent blunt-force emotional manipulation.  But vast numbers of people around the world live for that kind of music.  Fair enough, I suppose.

That all having been said, it is nice when every once in a while a power ballad comes along that has enough depth and a decent enough musical hook that I can enjoy it along with the masses.  Luxuslärm brings us just such a song with Liebt sie Dich wie ich?  Maybe the difference is that it is an alt-rock power ballad rather than a dreaded metal power ballad.  Maybe the difference is that the singer, Jini Meyer, can really belt out a tune.  Maybe the difference is that this song goes deeper than simply trying to emotionally manipulate the listener in the most basic possible way, by having a musical hook that is enjoyable without being oppressive.

Prediction:  Luxuslärm's Liebt sie Dich wie ich? is not my favorite song in Bundesvision 2012 by far.  But it's pretty decent all the same.  I think it will appeal to a lot of listeners, and should propel Liebt sie Dich wie ich? into the top third.

Bundesvision 2012: Bavaria

Despite my oppressively busy schedule these days, in the interest of preserving my sanity, I though I should finally kick off my preview of the 2012 Bundesvision Song Contest.

Today, we start out in Bavaria with a refreshing change of pace: Fiva & Das Phantom Orchester with Die Stadt gehört wieder mir.

Now let me preface this preview by saying that - overall - I like rap and hip-hop.  Put together some good, clever lyrics and a fresh beat, and it is tough not to like the genre.  Heck, I'll even go so far to say that the stereotypical "gangsta" attitude has its place in the genre, as long as it is an organic outgrowth of the social milieu from which the artist comes.  But I quickly run out of patience, and more importantly interest, when the music becomes all about trying to mimic this "gangsta" stereotype, and not about being honest and taking the music to a new level.  I think this problem becomes particularly egregious when you have non-American hip-hop artists trying to pretend that they come straight out of Compton, when they actually come straight out of Heidelberg (or Osaka, or Montreal, or you name it).

Climbing off of my rickety soapbox, I come back to Fiva & Das Phantom Orchester.  Fiva is a rapper who is comfortable in her European skin.  She doesn't try to pose as some tough inner city thug.  Instead, with her backing band made up of DJ, percussion, and a string section, Fiva lays down an infectious jazzy groove and some engaging vocals, while never forgetting who she is or where she comes from.  I would rather listen to this than to European "gangsta" rap any day of the week.

Prediction:  As evidenced by the past two years' experience, just because I like something doesn't mean that the voting German public will agree with me.  I think Fiva & Das Phantom Orchester will find it's niche audience, but it will not be much more than a niche.  I predict Die Stadt gehört wieder mir will land somewhere in the bottom half of the field.

Bundesvision 2012 Contestants Announced

I've been buried in work lately, so I'm probably reporting old news.  That having been said, the competing songs for the 2012 Bundesvision Song Contest have been announced.  The actual contest will be held on Friday, September 28 at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin.  Unlike last year, when I crapped out half way through, I will try to review all of this year's songs. In fact, to help keep me motivated, I would love to hear your opinions on this year's songs.

This year's entrants are:

Baden-Würtemberg: Xavas (Xavier Naddoo and Kool Savas) with Und ich schau nicht mehr zurück

Bavaria:  Fiva & Das Phantom Orchester with Die Stadt gehört wieder mir

Berlin:  B-Tight with Drinne

Brandenburg:  Mellow Mark feat. Nina Maleika with Bleib bei mir

Bremen:  Schné with Alles aus Liebe

Hamburg:  König Boris with Häuserwand

Hesse:  Cris Cosmo with Herzschlag

Lower Saxony:  Ich Kann Fliegen with Mich kann nur Liebe retten

Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:  The Love Bülow with Nie mehr

North Rhine-Westphalia:  Luxuslärm with Liebt sie Dich wie ich?

Rhineland-Palatinate:  Pickers with 1000 Meilen

Saarland:  Die Orsons feat. Cro with Horst & Monika

Saxony:  Laing with Morgens immer müde

Saxony-Anhalt:  Johanna Zeul with Sandmann

Schleswig-Holstein:  Vierkanttretlager with Fotoalbum

Thuringia:  Maras April with Himmel aus Eis

I will start listening to these songs now.  I will start writing reviews as soon as I can find some time.

Music Video: Polysics - I My Me Mine

If, like me, you came of age in the late 70s and early 80s, you came of age in a time of remarkable musical experimentation.  Inspired by the punk movement to abandon the established cliches of rock and roll music, and liberated from the guitar/bass/drums paradigm by the development of synthesizers, groups like Devo deconstructed and rearranged music to create new forms.  4/4 time gave way to jagged poly-rhythms.  Free-flowing organically derived sound gave way to repetitive and mechanical atonality that held a mirror up to the children of the computer age. 

While we may think this age of experimentation has passed, many bands look back to this time for inspiration.  The Japanese band Polysics is one of these bands that drinks fully from the font of post-punk, proto-electronic music.  This is not to say that Polysics is an exercise in nostalgia.  While songs like I My Me Mine borrow heavily from Devo, they are still heavily informed by modern sensibilities.  Polysics may not musically throw the baby out with the bathwater like Devo did back in the 70s, but they sure keep that bathwater awfully fresh.

Amusing Music Video: Buranovskiye Babushki - Party For Everybody

The annual Eurovision Song Contest has become something of a punchline.  For those unfamiliar with the concept, competing European countries all nominate a song to represent them in competing against the songs of the others.  Over the decades, competitors have noticed that the songs that win are seldom the best songs.  Rather, the songs that win typically have some sort of a gimmick.  And the competitors in this year's Eurovision Song Contest continue to buy into that formula for success.

A case in point is Russia's entry, Buranovskiye Babushki and their song Party For Everybody.  The band is made up of eight grandmothers from the village of Buranovo, in the Ural Mountains region.  Don't let their advanced years, traditional dress, and the fact that they sing mostly in Udmurt  - an obscure regional dialect - fool you.  These ladies can put on a show, and even the most stoic Russians in the audience can't help but smile.  Buranovskiye Babushki will never win any songwriting awards, but if you can get points for entertainment value - and isn't that what Eurovision is all about - they may go far.

Oh, and by the way, that large object on the revolving platform at the back of the stage is a bread oven.  Don't ask.  Just accept it.

Music Video: Holger Burner - Aufwachen

For a while, Open World Music had turned inward, relying on my own resources rather than tapping into the work already done by others.  I don't know why that is.  But today, after a long interval, I finally returned to one of my favorite music streaming services - last.fm - to try to find some new artists I had never heard before.

And, boy oh boy, did I ever!

In today's hyper-consumerist society, it is nice to occasionally hear from somebody who sings about how we can aspire to greater things than the mere accumulation of stuff.  Holger Burner is not going to win any prizes from the American Enterprise Institute.  And his heavily techno influenced rap Aufwachen isn't going to make him too many friends in the leadership of his austerity obsessed homeland of Germany.  But I will give Holger Burner kudos for reminding us that often, in our single minded focus on the current definition of "living the dream", we end up with even less than that with which we started.

Awesome Disqualifications - Part 1

When I created Open World Music three years ago, I had to be very strict with myself about what parameters I would use to select music to post.  Artists had to come from non-English speaking countries and the song that I post had to be in their native language.  The first part is easy.  The whole premise of this blog is that there are great bands from just about every country on Earth.  The second part is somewhat more difficult.  Because most poplar modern musical genres had their genesis in the English speaking world, because many of the most influential artists to gain world fame have performed in English, and because performing in English is generally considered the only way to be marketable in the world at large, many artists opt to leave their native tongues behind when they write and perform.  Personally speaking, I think this is too bad.  The point of this blog was to bring the artists who have opted to perform in their own languages to a broader audience.

However, I have always felt pangs of regret that I couldn't also post music from artists from outside of the English speaking world who have made that choice to perform in English.  Often readers will refer me to artists, or I will stumble across artists, who are absolutely awesome, but because of my arbitrary and harsh rules I cannot post here. 

Well, rules are meant to be broken - particularly rules that I made up myself.  And so I bring you the first in what may be a multiple installment series:  Awesome Disqualifications.

The Dodoz - Do You Like Boys
This French band is a great example of hard driving alternative rock.  Sometimes they have an angular sound like Franz Ferdinand.  Other times they are more straight forward.  They're always interesting.





Jaqee - Moonshine
This is a borderline call.  Jaqee is originally from English/Swahili speaking Uganda, but for the past several years she has been working out of Sweden.  I originally heard of Jaqee from her work on the Koalas Desperados project, but I quickly fell in love with her solo work.  I just can't get her voice out of my head.




The Peacocks - Gimme More
This one is an oldie but a goodie.  This Swiss band has been around since 1990, and have been pounding out energetic psychobilly ever since.  







The Van Jets - Down Below
The Belgians are producing some amazing artists these days, including The Van Jets.  This is angular alternative rock, with a hint of a 70s vibe. 




Selah Sue - Raggamuffin
While we're in Belgium, I invite you to also check out Selah Sue.  Stylistically, she looks like a much healthier Amy Winehouse.  Her music is very soulful, and in this particular case, also very heavily inspired by reggae.  Another artist with a voice that will burrow into your brain.




Miss Platnum - She Moved In
I first became aware of this Germany based Romanian singer when she backed up Peter Fox on his breakout solo album, "Stadtaffe".  But Miss Platnum has earned quite a following in her own right, particularly for this soul influenced dance track. 







Lyre le Temps - Go Down/Hit the Road Jack/About the Traum Drum
A few years ago in the United States, swing made something of a popular comeback.  Since then, a new batch of artists - particularly in France - has taken that swing groove, and added heavy electronica elements.  Lyre le Temps takes this hybrid sound to amazing heights.



Ill Inspecta - Like Puppa San
Germany has a huge reggae scene.  As part of this, Ill Inspecta made ripples with his own dancehall take.  He has since left performing, spreading the story that Ill Inspecta was "killed".  But in the meantime, Ill Inspecta left some real gems that would be right at home heard out of a Kingston sound system.





The Bawdies - It's Too Late
Japan is famous for bands that take established musical genres from the United States and Great Britain, and giving them their unique cultural stamp.  The Bawdies don't do that.  They just play straight ahead hardcore R&B that would blow most American bands out of the water. 

Music Video: Samy Deluxe - Feuer, Verbrannt, Asche

I've probably mentioned this before, but I often find songs and artists that I like by spidering out from songs and artists that I already like.  It's kind of the six degrees of separation approach to music appreciation.

So, late last night, I was sitting at home minding my own business when I get an e-mail from Amazon.de telling me that one of my favorite German artists, Jan Delay, is coming out with a new live album/DVD set called "Hamburg brennt!!".  Excellent! I think, as I quickly log on to find out more about it.  Well, it turns out that this new album is being released to stores on May 11, 2012, and it features guest appearances from a long list of German hip-hop and rap artists.  While Amazon is the Borg of internet retail, and has - in cahoots with iTunes - absolutely decimated the traditional retail music business, one nice thing that they do is post relevant videos to many albums that they sell.  In this case, they posted a video of Jan Delay performing his classic song Füchse with artists Denyo and Samy Deluxe.

As often happens, this got me interested in what else Denyo and Samy Deluxe have done independently, which led me to Samy Deluxe's recent free promotional tune Feuer, Verbrannt, Asche.  Now, I was never a huge rap fan, although I can certainly see the artistry of the genre, but this tune blew me away.  Regardless of the language barrier, Samy Deluxe's verbal virtuosity is undeniable.  Set to the beat of another Jan Delay tune Feuer, Feuer, Verbrannt, Asche really only uses it as a launching pad for his own unique rhythm, thoroughly transcending the original.  Samy Deluxe has, for the past decade, been considered by critics and listeners alike as one of Germany's top rap artists.  It is not hard to see why.

Blast From the Past: Koos Kreuk - Waar is mijn hoofd

Ever since I started this little project, I have been trying to post Dutch and Belgian artists.  I know they're out there. . . right?  Well, every once in a while I find one that I really like (The Van Jets and Selah Sue are two awesome examples), but they inevitably only perform in English.  I guess that's good for marketing (after all, how many people out there even understand Dutch/Flemish?), but it's not necessarily the best thing for growing a dynamic grassroots music scene.

Every once in a while, though, something pokes through.  In this case, it only took the 1998 Pixies cover compilation "Death to the Pixies - We're Better!".  I will admit, a cover of an English language song in Dutch like Waar is mijn hoofd (Where is My Mind?) by Koos Kreuk is probably not the best showcase for the language.  Dutch really has a very different rhythm than English.  As for Koos Kreuk?  Hell if I know.  I can't find any information about or other songs by him.  Frankly, it looks like this is the only song that he ever released - unless one of my loyal readers has any more information.

Music Video: Deichkind - Leider Geil

There are a lot of bands out there that start out interesting, but that get boring after their first or second album.  There are other bands that start out slowly, but pick up speed as they go.  I would put the German hip-hop/techno collective Deichkind in this latter category.  Founded in 1999 in Hamburg, Deichkind started out as a decent, but otherwise non-noteworthy, German rap group in the same vein as Fettes Brot, Fantastischen Vier, or Blumentopf.  In this musical guise, Deichkind put out a couple of okay albums that helped them to develop a hardcore following.

Then, in 2005, things really went off the rails.  With the entry of Electric Super Dance Band in the 2005 Bundesvision Song Contest, Deichkind dove headfirst into a much more interesting and challenging relationship with techno and dance music.  Despite placing 14th out of 15 in Bundesvision, Deichkind had cast their lot, and I think for the better.  Not only were their songs becoming more challenging.  Their live shows were also demonstrating a real affinity for the dramatic, the absurd, and even the bizarre.

Now, on their newly released 5th studio album Befehl von ganz unten, Deichkind continues this experimentation in what they call "TechRap".  Perhaps this is best represented by their new single Leider Geil.  You may not like Deichkind, but they certainly won't leave you unchallenged. 

BTW, as an added bonus, if you really want to see what Deichkind is all about, check out this live version of their song Prost! from Rockpalast in 2011.

Music Video: AKB48 - Bounce Back

It stands to reason.  If a four girl band is good, a (+/-)60 girl band is fifteen times better!  And leave it to our Japanese friends to realize that first.  Give them bonus points for making sure those 60 girls are all dressed in schoolgirl uniforms.  And as a chubby and bald middle-aged man, who am I to argue? 

You wouldn't know it from looking at them, but AKB48 has been around since 2005.  On first glance, that may make one wonder if the members might be pushing their luck with the schoolgirl schtick for seven years.  However, membership in AKB48 is constantly revolving, ensuring the elders fade out while their younger replacements are being groomed.  The result is that AKB48, with their bouncy Japanese pop sound, is one of the top selling bands in the world.  Bounce Back illustrates the reason for this perfectly.  Catchy tunes and a steady stream of attractive young singers; you can't lose!

Music Video: Housse de Racket - Oh Yeah!

I am slowly being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century.  Sure, I blog, and I have an active profile on Facebook.  But I'd rather pound spikes through my skull than Tweet, and until recently I really didn't look at other people's blogs.  However, there's something of a community of people who blog about music in other parts of the world, and when my own well of musical awareness runs dry, these blogs are a great place to go for inspiration.

Today I found out about a nice little outfit out of Chaville, France called Housse de Racket.  They hit it big within their own borders back in 2008 with their first single Oh Yeah!  As you can hear for yourself, this bit of Euro pop is insidiously catchy.  They recently came out with their second album, "Alesia", back in November.  This outing is much less pop, and much more electronica.  But it too is full of catchy musical hooks.

Music Video: Superbus - Tiens le Fil

Despite all the evidence to the contrary on this blog, I still can't help but think of most French music as being some mild updating of the cabaret sound.  For all the songs by BB Brunes, Naast, or Les Shades that I play, I can't help but be reminded of songs by Les Negresses Vertes, Paris Combo, and Caravan Palace.  Now don't get me wrong, I love that second group of bands as much as I love the first.  But they always strike me as being excessively self-consciously and defensively French.

So I get excited when I hear a French band that blows that self-reinforcing French music cliche out of the water.  Superbus is one of those bands.  Granted, this is an older song.  But sweet Jehovah, these guys can rock in a way that transcends culture!  It is hard to argue against a song like Tiens le Fil when the drums start pounding, the guitars start screaming, and the bass starts throbbing. 

Music Video: Lucybell - Sembrando en el mar

I have been on something of a German kick lately here on Open World Music.  That is the general gravitational pull that this blog has often had, as it started out because I was inspired by the German music scene while trying to bring some cultural relevance to my daughter's German language education.  But I also like to move farther afield, as appealing rock and pop music in the local language comes from just about everywhere in the world.  So, today I moved somewhat laterally to Chile.

I say "laterally" not because German is an official language in Chile.  Rather, due to heavy German immigration into Chile beginning in 1845 and lasting until today, German cultural influence on Chile is broad and significant.

But all that is irrelevant to the task at hand: introducing Chilean alternative band Lucybell.  Formed in 1991, and putting out 7 albums since then, this band from Santiago is a widely beloved fixture on the Chilean music scene.  While the deep, rich voice of Lucybell's lead singer leaves the listener with no doubt that this is a South American band, Lucybell's music has strong ties to 1980s and 1990s British pop.  Sembrando en el mar is a fine example of this influence, while also demonstrating that they have their own unique voice.

Music Video: Sport - Der unsichtbare Dritte

Sometimes, when digging through the music that I have been collecting over the past three years for Open World Music, I stumble across a band that I was really into a while ago, but that had kind of fallen off my radar.  Sport from Hamburg, Germany is one of those bands.  Sport is often heavy music, with pounding bass drum and grinding guitar.  Sport is always dark and broody in mood.  But Sport is always engaging, in sort of a Stranglers having a really bad day sort of way.

Anyway, I have always wanted to post a Sport video on Open World Music.  The problem is, the band is almost invisible.  They have no videos that I can find, other than album tracks that fans have posted.  They barely have a website.  They have had a MySpace page since 2005, but the one album that they list on their discography isn't even one of their albums (they have released five albums as far as I can tell, but even that is just an educated guess).  Even the name Sport is so generic as to render them all but invisible to search engines.  I wonder if this is intentional, but something tells me that they're just not that into marketing themselves.

But, if you look long enough, you're bound to find something.  And so, today I bring you the single music video (and it's a fan video at that) for a Sport song that I could find, Der unsichtbare Dritte.  In my opinion, it's not their best song.  But it is pretty representative of their oeuvre.  If you like this, Sport just released a new album this month called "Aus der Asche, aus dem Staub", and it's on iTunes.

Music Video: Dendemann - Stumpf ist Trumpf 3.0

Sometimes I don't get kids.  Over her six years, my daughter has expressed a strong preference for music that is raucous, that has a beat that you can dance to, and that has a chorus that you can sing along to.  Oh yeah, and she prefers bands with female lead singers.  That's fine.  I get that.  But every once in a while she finds a song that she really likes that doesn't really check any of those boxes.

The other day, that song was German hip-hop artist Dendemann's song Stumpf ist Trumpf 3.0.  Don't get me wrong, I have always liked this song myself.  It is aggressive but smart.  Plus, as can be seen from the video and its wonderful parody of the old TV show MacGyver, Dendemann has a solid sense of humor.  But Dendemann's voice is, if nothing else, gratingly masculine, and his beat and lyrics can neither be easily danced to nor sung along with.  I guess that is the fun thing about music: you never know what you will ultimately find appealing.  The fun is in the searching.

Music Video: Wise Guys - Jetzt und hier

I have always had something of a love/hate relationship with a cappella groups.  On the one hand, I can't deny the vocal virtuosity and creativity that goes into making an a cappella group work.  On the other hand, more often than not, a cappella groups are self-consciously comic and kitschy, almost to the point of daring the public to acknowledge liking them.  I find this attitude more off-putting than endearing.

Sometimes, though, this cheeky attitude works.  In the case of German a cappella band Wise Guys, it has raised them to the pinnacle of the German pop charts.  Songs like Jetzt und hier ably demonstrate Wise Guys' ability to craft incredibly catchy pop songs, and to deliver them with a cheeky smile, without allowing this cheekiness to degrade into self-parody.

Music Video: Massimo Volume - Fausto

As a music fan, I am always fascinated by the labels applied to bands and musical genres.  These labels can go from broad, like pop, indie, or metal, to very narrow, like dancehall, death metal, or folktronica (I particularly like the sound of that last one!).  Anyway, despite having been an avid listener for well nigh 4 decades, I have never before heard the term "math rock".  Never before, until today.

Apparently, the Italian band Massimo Volume is a math rock band.  According to the ever faithful, and never wrong, Wikipedia, math rock is rock music that is played according to ever changing  and complex meter, as opposed to typical rock that is usually played in straight 4/4 time.  I can't speak to whether that describes an actual genre of music as defined by the musicians themselves, but I suppose I can pull it out at my next cocktail party to see if it excites the ladies in the room.

In the meantime, check out Massimo Volume's Fausto to see if any of this makes any sense to you.  For whatever it is worth, I am notoriously bad at assigning genres to bands.  Typically, genres are used in music for the purposes of exclusion rather than inclusion.  I think that's a shame, because whether or not Massimo Volume is math rock or something else altogether, they're still a lot of fun to listen to.

Music Video: Xavier Naidoo - Alles kann besser werden

I have never been much of a fan of American soul and R&B.  All too often it has struck me as artistic virtuosity without emotional depth.  Perhaps it only took listening to a German R&B artist to really get out of that frame of mind.  After all, if you only have a tenuous grasp on the language, you are compelled to focus entirely on the virtuosity aspect, with less regard for emotional depth.  Indeed, it is through this focus on the virtuosity that one can discover the emotional depth.

One artist who has helped me down this path is Germany's Xavier Naidoo.  With a voice that beautifully transcends language, and with music that frames that voice perfectly, Xavier Naidoo has made a believer out of me.  Perhaps the best track from his most ambitious album of the same name is Alles kann besser werden.  Whether you understand German or not, this is an amazing piece of soul and R&B, where Naidoo's artistic virtuosity conveys remarkable emotional depth. 

Amusing Music Video: Caroline Charonpuroppu Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - PonPonPon

It has been a while since I have posted an "Amusing Music Video".  It's not that I don't see them out there.  It's just that I don't want to become known as a novelty blog, where people can come for empty-headed amusement, rather than for exposure to serious and talented artists. 

But hooo daddy!!!  Have I found a video for you guys today. 

Well, to be honest, lots of people found this video before I did.  Apparently Katy Perry loves this video.  When she tweeted about it, the video went viral, and now it has been viewed almost 15 million times.  But this isn't the first time that I've shown up for a party after it's already over, and I'm sure it won't be the last time.

Anyway, without further ado, I present to you in all of its bizarre psychedelic glory, Japanese musician/model/fashion designer/performance artist Caroline Charonpuoppu Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, and her truly revolutionary song PonPonPon.   As for wanting this blog to be about serious artists. . . well, the more I find out about miss Pamyu Pamyu, the more serious in her artistic lunacy she seems.  This is not just funny because it's bad.  This is funny because the whole point of the exercise it to make you wonder if you really just saw that, or if it was just a figment of your fevered imagination.

Music Video: Nanook - Ingerlaliinnaleqaagut

Back when I was still just posting my international music observations on my personal Facebook page, I linked to a couple of interesting hip-hop groups from Greenland.  Despite being pretty rudimentary musically, they did ignite in me an interest in discovering more about the music scene in this often overlooked, scantily populated, island in the Arctic Ocean.

As one would expect from a place that is officially an independent nation within the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland's music is heavily influenced by Europe.  Geographically, as a part of the North American continent, Greenland's music also displays influence from Canada and the United States.  Culturally, as a nation that is primarily ethnically Inuit, and which officially speaks Greenlandic, songs are typically sung in a language that would confound even the most widely traveled linguists.

All of which brings us to the band Nanook and their song Ingerlaliinnaleqaagut.  The title and lyrics might seem at first totally alien, but the music is instantly accessible.  Originally formed by two brothers, one from Nuuk, Greenland and the other from Copenhagen, Denmark, Nanook blends these influences beautifully in this mellow acoustic tune.

Music Video: Erdmöbel - Das Leben ist schön

I frequently go through phases with listening to music, where I will latch onto a band, and listen to everything they've ever done for a few weeks.  Then I drift off to my next phase.

The German band Erdmöbel was one of my phases.  This band from Cologne (via Münster) has been around since the mid-1990s, and has evolved significantly over that time in both style and substance.  Their current style, as demonstrated in Das Leben ist schön, has strong hints of Elvis Costello - with its raspy vocals, layered melodies, and sometimes surprising instrumentation.  In this particular case, though, the lyrics are much more optimistic and upbeat than Costello could ever manage.

While I have moved on to new phases, Erdmöbel always has a place in my iPod for times when I want music that makes me feel good.

Music Video: Zainichi Funk - Scary Bomb

Some days I wake up feeling uninspired.  Same breakfast.  Same long commute into work.  Same dreary job. 

And then, on a whim, I follow a musical suggestion that arrives to me from out of the blue.  All of a sudden, my heart is beating.  My feet are tapping.  I want to DO something with my day.  Music has a funny way of doing that for people.  In my case, funk music does it better than almost anything else.

And so, in keeping with many of my recent posts, we stay in Japan to bring you Zainichi Funk and their soul moving tune Scary Bomb.  Some viewers will say this is awesome.  Others will probably laugh, and say "What the hell was that?!?"  But whichever attitude you take to this song, I'd bet you dollars to doughnuts that your pulse just went up by at least 10%.  I'll take that any day.

Music Video: Irie Révoltés - Zeit ist Geld

A couple of months ago, I profiled four bands that play in French, but who come from elsewhere.  Today, I bring an unofficial fifth.  Irie Révoltés comes from Heidelberg, Germany, but for some reason they sing about 70% of their songs in French, with most of the rest in German.  To my own ear, it's an exciting mix because Irie Révoltés' music combines the Gallic tongue with decidedly Teutonic inspired reggae, ska, hip-hop, and electronic beats, with the music changing the feel of the language, and the language changing the feel of the music.

A good example of this mix is Irie Révoltés' song, Zeit ist Geld.  This is heavily electronic hip-hop, with some ska horns mixed in, and lyrics in both German and French.  As Irie Révoltés is an explicitly political band (thus the name of the band), this linguistic and musical internationalism merely adds further punch to their universal message of speaking to the common man.

Music Video: Scandal - Shoujo S

I get depressed when I watch too many "musicians" who are all image and good looks, and who are never actually seen in the same room with an actual musical instrument.  Watching popular music from around the world, as well as from the United States, I have been depressed an awful lot lately.

But then I returned to one of my musical standbys, Japan, and my faith in music was restored - at least for today.  The Japanese band Scandal has been around since 2006, and they have had an impressive impact not only in Japan, but beyond Japanese shores as well.  Partially through their providing songs for the popular anime programs Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist, and partially through worldwide touring, Scandal has developed quite a following in the United States and Europe.  Through their song Shoujo S from their first major label album "Best Scandal", we see Scandal at their indie rock best.  Already, this song has been covered by fans around the world in languages as diverse as Italian and English.  Don't let the rather tired and overwrought cliche of the schoolgirl outfits dissuade you, Scandal can rock out with the best of them.

Music Video: Tété - Fils de Cham

As a blogger of negligible note but of global scope and ambitions, I am always interested to see where my readers come from.  It's no surprise that most readers come from the United States.  Similarly, it's no surprise that many readers come from places like Germany, Spain, or Russia - places whose musicians I have profiled over the past couple of years.  What does surprise me is that I get almost no visitors from France.  Heaven knows I have tried.  Posts about French artists are among my most viewed posts. . . it's just that they're not being viewed by people actually from France.

Well, let nobody accuse me of not being willing to beat my head bloody against that wall of Gallic indifference.  Today I bring you my favorite French artist of 2012, Tété.  As one of Paris' adopted sons, Tété has been writing and performing gripping guitar driven rock/R&B hybrid songs for years.  Finally, with his most recent release, "Le Premier Clair de l'Aube", he is getting the attention he deserves.  The song Fils de Cham perfectly represents this thoroughly enjoyable album.

Music Video: 2NE1 - I Am the Best

Let's just get this out in the open:  I generally don't like corporately manufactured music.  In my mind, music should have elements of spontaneity and should represent an emotional connection between the musician and the listener, not be seamlessly prepared by committees and manipulated to sell "product".  Unfortunately, much of what is coming out of east Asia falls under the corporate music umbrella, which is generally why I don't profile much of it here.  There are, of course, massive exceptions like Joyside from China, or ZukunaSisters from Japan.  But unfortunately acts like those are seldom ever heard outside of their home countries, while female Korean versions of NSync pack Madison Square Garden (true story).

That brings us to today's band, 2NE1 and their song I Am the Best.  They are typical of the current crop of Korean (aka "K-Pop") groups.  The group consists of several young attractive women, who are flawless dancers, and who have probably never even met the musicians (well, programmers) who play the music to which they sing along.  It's all so commercial. . . and soulless. . . and empty. . .

. . . and. . .

. . . well, dammit, so catchy!  I want to hate I Am the Best and everything that it represents.  And I will - I promise - as soon as I stop dancing along.

Music Video: Alina Orlova - Lijo

I've been trying to figure out for years how to better define what music I like.  After all, it would be really easy if I could just decide that I only like - say - electroswing, and just focus on listening to that.  It turns out, though, that I simply can't define what I like.  Music either speaks to me, or it doesn't.

There are a few things that I have been listening to today that speak to me, but foremost among them is the music of Lithuanian artist Alina Orlova.  Many people have commented on her ethereal voice.  She definitely has that.  But she also writes hauntingly beautiful melodies - sometimes just for piano, other times using distinctly Baltic instrumentation.  Her music is startlingly compact in structure, but sweeping in scope.  Whatever it is, there is something about Alina Orlova that I find deeply affecting and appealing.  For a perfect example, you need go no further than her song Lijo.